Following Colombia Scandal, Secret Service Agents Stripped of Security Clearance

It looks like the 11 Secret Service agents and officers currently on leave in the Colombian sex scandal have been stripped of their security clearances in addition to being suspended from work, at least according to a CBS report sourced to an unnamed "law enforcement official."

It looks like the 11 Secret Service agents and officers currently on leave in the Colombian sex scandal have been stripped of their security clearances in addition to being suspended from work, at least according to a CBS report sourced to an unnamed "law enforcement official." Basically, that means they don't get to go into areas where security clearance is required, but it's also a harbinger of possible further discipline to come.

One detail that's a little unclear is whether they've also had their equipment taken from them. A CBS story at 4:14 p.m. reported that: " 'They are 'do not admit' and their equipment has been taken,' according to a law enforcement official." But the story from 4:16 p.m. reported that "a law enforcement official who spoke to CBS News says the agents and officers do not admit that any equipment had been taken." Those two sentences read like they mean opposite things.

We also learned a bit more about what roles the Secret Service members played. According to CBS: "Two Secret Service supervisors were among the 11 involved. A top official confirms that the group also included three members of the Counter-Assault Teams, the agents who wear black commando outfits and carry large weapons."

This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.

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